Coral Reefs, the Human View

Part B: A Closer Look at Coral

Close-up view of a hard coral skeleton. Photo source: Clinton Community College Biology Web.

Corals live in the sea, but sometimes we find pieces of them on land. Perhaps you've stumbled across a fragment of coral on a beach or have seen a piece of coral jewelry. Although you should never remove coral from the ocean or buy precious coral jewelry, studying the skeletal remains of coral can help us learn about what they were like when they were still alive.

1. Examine the coral samples brought in by your teacher, first by eye and then with a magnifying glass or under a microscope if possible. For each sample, consider the following questions:
   • Where did the coral sample come from?
   • Is the surface of coral sample rough or smooth to the touch?
   • Is the coral sample white or colorful?
   • What shape is the coral sample? Is it symmetric?
   • Do the coral samples brought into class look like the corals you saw in the videos? What makes them similar or different?
2. Coral reefs are teeming with life on every surface, in every crevice, and in the surrounding waters. Examine a living coral reef ecosystem by visiting a local aquarium or by checking out the following web cams with live streaming video:
   • Philippines Coral Reef Cam from California Academy of Sciences (Be patient for the video stream to load.)
     Show me information about the Coral Reef Cam
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     Located in San Francisco, CA, the Steinhart Aquarium's 802,500-liter, 7.6-meter deep Philippine Coral Reef exhibit is the largest and deepest indoor reef in the world. Twice daily during feeding times at the aquarium, audio is available and academy biologists answer visitor questions.
   • Cayman Reef Cam (Be patient for the video stream to load.)
     Show me information about the Cayman Reef Cam
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     This live solar-powered camera is located in East End on Grand Cayman, part of the Cayman Islands. These islands are located in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba, between Jamaica and Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. The camera overlooks a boulder star coral, known as a "cleaning station," where larger fish come to be cleaned by small cleaner wrasse and shrimp. The best time to catch the cleaning is around dusk, and below the video the sunset and sunrise times are listed in the Weather panel.

Optional Extension

Go on a virtual dive at XL Catlin Seaview Survey